Well-Informed Thieves Take Part of UNC Gym Floor

Officials do not believe that the person or persons who took two of the "feet" from the gym floor also stole Michael Jordan's and David Thompson's retired jerseys last month.

The current floor at the gym used to be at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The old UNC floor had to be replaced because of a fire there last week that damaged it. UNC Athletic Director Willie Scroggs says that narrows the list of suspects considerably.

Scroggs says the feet were removed by someone who knew what they were doing, and who was acquainted with the structure of the floor.

The thief or thieves even covered the bare spots with precision-cut plywood. Scroggs says, since the only reason to steal the feet would be to show them off, he has high hopes of solving this crime.

One contributing factor in this theft is the fact that many UNC buildings are left unlocked, allowing people to come and go freely. Now, with the rash of recent thefts, the schools will probably have second thoughts about that open-door policy.